Complicate It Up!
by Ryuu-Xana
Summary: Gunther likes Cece.  Cece likes Gunther.  All the signs are there, but the ability to comprehend them is not.  Throw in two new girls and add a spritz of bad timing and you have "Complicate It Up!"
1. Flashbacks

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>This is my first time writing any Shake it Up fanfiction. I hope you like it. I know it's short. I'm sorry about that. I hope you like it.<strong>

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><p>Chapter 1: Flashbacks<p>

"I don't think she realizes that I did the performance specifically for her," sobbed Gunther. He and Tinka were at home alone. Tinka was sitting on the couch and Gunther was lying on it, his head in her lap. Tinka was comforting Gunther, her younger twin of three minutes. He was sobbing over Cece. Or, more specifically, the time he wasted over making his performance perfect for her. "I don't even think she recognized _The Song_." Gunther had spent hours looking through his music collection for the perfect song until Tinka suggested that he used _The Song_ as his performance song.

_The Song_ was the term he commonly used when referring back to the song he shared with Cece back in the first grade. Gunther remembered that year perfectly.

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><p><em>It was after school one morning. Gunther and Tinka were waiting for their parents to pick them up and to pass the time, they danced one of their routines on the playground while the other kids were leaving.<em>

_Cece ran back to the playground because she left he jacket on the tire swing. When she was running back, she ran past the slide and saw Gunther and Tinka dancing. She watched until their routine was done. "Wow! That looks like fun! You guys are really good! Can I try?" she asked._

_Gunther and Tinka smiled at each other and then smiled at Cece. "Sure. You might need some practice though," said Gunther._

_Cece giggled at his accent. She had had a crush on him for a little bit and thought it was the best thing ever._

_Tinka stepped in front of her little brother. "Are you laughing at my brother?" she snapped._

_Cece took a step back. "N-no," stuttered Cece. "I'm sorry. I really like the way you both talk. I just didn't think you'd let me dance with you. A lot of the other kids don't like me. They think I'm weird."_

_Gunther smiled and pushed around his sister. "They think we are weird too. Something about the way we talk and dress or some odd thing like that. I'm Gunther."_

_"And I am Tinka," said Tinka after a nudge from Gunther._

_"And we are the Hessenheffers," they said and struck a pose._

_"I'm Cece," she said, striking the same pose as the twins did. "And I'm dyslexic. I think that's why they don't like me, because I see all of my numbers and letters differently."_

_"Well Cece, you seem like a nice girl. Now, run along and play. We're still practicing," said Tinka, blowing her off._

_Gunther glared at his sister. "Don't mind her. She's just picky about her friends. Do you want to be friends? We can be weird together," offered Gunther._

_Cece laughed again. "Sure. Sounds like fun." She smiled widely._

_"Cece!" called her mom. "Where are you? Certainly finding your jacket shouldn't take this long!"_

_"I've got to go," said Cece. "But I'll see you tomorrow at school._

_The next day when Cece danced with Gunther and Tinka again, it was obvious she had practiced and with some help from Gunther she got the dance down perfect._

_Over the next few weeks, Cece was busy practicing moves that she had invented. By the end of the month she had invited Gunther and Tinka over to her house to show them her dance._

_She blared the stereo and the song that came out was _Are you Gonna be my Girl _by _Jet_. And since that day, Gunther dubbed it _The Song_._

_Tinka wasn't very impressed with any of it, but Gunther was smitten like a lovesick kitten._

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><p>Gunther had incorporated the new moves that Cece showed him that day into the dance he did to <em>The Song<em>. "She didn't recognize any of it!" cried Gunther.

Tinka stroked his head and made soft shushing noises, trying to calm him down the same way she would a baby. "Would you like some herbal tea, Gunther dear?" she asked, thinking of things that would make him feel better. He nodded into her lap. "Alrighty then." She leaned over and grabbed a pillow. "Here. You can lay on this while I'm making your tea."

Gunther sat up and smiled at his sister. "Thanks, Tinkabelle." He held her in a hug.

"Of course. That's what I'm here for. I'm your older sister. You can talk to me about all things girl." Tinka stood up and walked to the kitchen. She rummaged around in the cupboards looking for the tea, which she finally found. She put a pot of water on to boil and added a few tea bags before sitting back down on the couch with Gunther. "And speaking of girls, we have two new girls coming to school tomorrow."

Gunther sighed. "Maybe seeing new faces will take my mind off of Cece."

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><p>Cece was sitting on her bed. She was still floored by Gunther's performance on Shake it Up! Chicago. Those moves, that song; he remembered! She was amazed he still remembered. She had to call Rocky and tell her everything! Cece pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Rocky's number.<p>

"Hey Cece!" greeted Rocky.

"Rocky, I have something important to tell you."

"Is everything alright, Cece?" asked Rocky, afraid something horrible had happened to her friend.

"Everything is fine. Mostly. You have to promise to laugh or judge me."

"Cece, I would never judge you. And I promise I won't laugh."

"I used to be friends with Gunther and Tinka," she started and then launched into the story about how they met. "The dance he did today had the moves I showed them that day. I didn't think he remembered them. I didn't even think he remembered our song! That was our song, Rocky!"

Rocky gasped. "You know what this means, don't you, Cece?"

"What?" asked Cece.

"Cece, Gunther likes you!"

"What? Are you serious? Then why are he and Tinka always mean to us?"

"You know what's said about guys who are mean to girls. It means they like them."

"Yeah, eight year old boys who are mean to eight year old girls. Gunther's more mature than that."

"Is he, Cece? Is he _really_?"

Cece opened her mouth, noise escaping but no words. She shut her mouth again.

"But I have a question. If you guys used to be friends and hang out all the time in the first grade, what happened?"

"I really don't know. They just stopped talking to me after I got held back in third grade because of my dyslexia."

"Do they know you're dyslexic?"

"Yeah. That was one of the things I told them when I first met them. And then I don't know what happened. I had to repeat third grade and they continued onto fourth grade and they stopped being my friends."

"That was the year me and Ty moved here, right?"

"Yeah. The year they started bullying us. I don't know what happened. I wish I did though."

"We'll talk to them tomorrow and ask them about it."

"Rocky, it's not so simple," argued Cece.

"Do you like Gunther or not, Cece?" asked Rocky.

"Yeah, but…What if you're wrong? What if he doesn't like me? What then?"

"You make a good point, Cece. What if he doesn't like you? What if he used your dance moves and the song you share with him to impress another girl?" She shrugged even though Cece couldn't see her. "You're right."

"Well, when you put it that way…" sighed Cece.

"Okay then. You'll ask him about it tomorrow then. And I'll be right there with you."

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><p><strong>Please review. I want to know what you think and what you would like to see. And what you think made Gunther and Tinka stop being friends with Cece, because I really have no ideas.<strong>

**And yes, I made Tinka the older twin. She seems like she would be the older twin even though Kenton is older than Caroline by a few months.**


	2. The New Girls

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 is up. This is a new record for me. Let me know what you think.<strong>

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><p>Chapter 2: The New Girls<p>

It was the next morning. Cece was up and dressed and ready to go in record time, but she felt sick to her stomach. "Oh, I'm gonna be sick," she groaned, running to the bathroom at the same time that Rocky climbed through her window.

Rocky followed Cece to the bathroom and rubbed her back to make her feel better. "It'll be okay, Cece. I know he feels the same way or else he wouldn't have put so much work into it to pick out your song and practice your unique dance moves."

"You're right," Cece smiled. "But I still feel queasy."

"Here," said Rocky handing Cece two _Tums_ tablets.

"Thanks," she said after she chewed them. "But why do you have these?"

Rocky smiled a little. "I thought you might need them sometime today. I also have more where those came from."

"Oh thank you," said Cece embracing Rocky in a hug. "Because I might need them."

The girls walked out of the bathroom and plopped down on the couch in the living room.

"Do you have a book or something you can bring with you on the subway to keep your mind off of what we're gonna do today?" asked Rocky. She decided it was best for Cece if she didn't say his name. That would make her nervousness flare up again.

"Um…I can grab one."

Rocky shook her head. "No need. Already go it covered," she said as she pulled "Matilda" out of her bag.

"This was like my favorite child-hood book! I loved it when my mom would read it to me before bed every night. Thank you, Rocky!" exclaimed Cece, embracing her friend in a tight hug.

"Now let's go."

"Aren't you forgetting about me?" asked Flynn from the kitchen.

"Oh yes. You are right, Flynn. One minute breakfast it is."

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><p>When Cece and Rocky arrived at school they went to their lockers first and then Rocky helped Cece spot Gunther. He was standing at the opposite wall talking with a girl.<p>

"Who is she?" Cece asked Rocky.

"Oh I forgot. We have new girls today. That must be one of them. Let's go say hi and talk to Gunther," Rocky suggested.

Cece took a deep breath and took a step away from her locker, and then another, and then another. The pattern continued until she was standing a couple feet away from Gunther and the new girl. Rocky was right behind her.

"Gunther, can we talk?" Cece asked timidly.

Gunther absent-mindedly switched to his fake American accent. "Can't you see I'm already talking to somebody else?" he said, completely blowing Cece off. "Say hi to Allison. She's one of the new girls."

"H-hi, Allison," Cece stuttered. She tried to look around Allison. "I need to talk to you, Gunther."

"Not now, baby-doll," he said, completely blowing her off yet again, again in his American accent. "I'm already with Allison. Shoo," he said, gesturing with his hand.

Cece stood there, stunned. She could feel her eyes filling with tears and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach again. She whirled around and briefly shared a look with Rocky before running off to the bathroom.

"NICE GUNTHER!" shouted Rocky, her voice thick with emotion. "JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She ran after Rocky, following her friend into the bathroom.

Tinka, who was sitting off to the side, looked at her brother before looking in the direction that Rocky and Cece ran. She had witnessed the whole incident and she had to agree with Rocky. Her brother was talking to another popular girl just like Danielle, and he, again, just like the last time, turned into a "cool dude." "Just because you're a cool dude, doesn't mean you have to be a rude dude," she muttered under her breath, before standing up to use the bathroom as well.

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><p>Cece heard the bathroom door open for the second time in five minutes. She stepped out of the stall, smiling, hoping maybe it Gunther coming to apologize for being so rude. "Oh. It's you," she said, the smile slipping from her face. "Why are you here, Tinka?" she asked. She was in no mood to fight with Tinka, not after the shape her heart was in.<p>

"I just came here to apologize on my brother's behalf. His rudeness was unacceptable and when he slips into that ridiculous American accent of his, I know there's only more rudeness to come. He's not himself when he slips into that American accent. His persona changes to that of 'G'," she said, air-quoting around the letter G.

"I just wanted to talk to him about his performance yesterday at the studio. I—I…" Cece trailed off and shook her head. "Never mind, it's a stupid idea and it probably didn't mean anything. I mean, if it did, he wouldn't be blowing me off for Allison," she said rolling her eyes. She could feel the tears starting to return.

The bell rang, signaling time for classes to begin.

"Well, I should be going," said Tinka, turning to leave. "And I am really, truly sorry about my brother's behavior."

Cece just nodded. She could feel the tears running down her face. For once, she was thankful she had been held back in the third grade. Now, she wouldn't have to see Gunther in any of her classes.

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><p>Tinka furiously walked up to her brother, who was still talking to Allison. "Allison, that bell meant that it's time for class to begin. You should go. Now," Tinka practically growled at her. When Allison scurried off, Tinka turned on Gunther, rising on her toes to get into his face. "What are you doing, Gunther?" she growled, low and deep in her throat. "You are hurting her."<p>

"Chill, bro," said G. "I got this under control."

Tinka quickly lowered herself off of her toes and took a step back, eyes wide with shock and disgust. "Don't ever call me 'bro' again. And until the Gunther I know comes back, don't bother calling me 'sis' again either. For that matter, just don't bother talking to me again, 'G'," she spat, turning on her toes, chin in the air, books in hand, never looking back.

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><p>At lunch Cece grabbed her bagged lunch from her locker and made her way to the back of the cafeteria, head down, avoiding the possibility of seeing Gunther or Allison or Gunther <em>and<em> Allison.

She plopped down at the table.

"Hi," said a high, chirpy voice.

Cece looked up. "Are you the other new girl?" she said, looking at the red head that was sitting across from her.

"Yeah, my name is Kimberly. You can call me Kim."

"Is Allison like your sister or something?" asked Cece, not feeling up to being perky.

"Oh. You've met Allison?" Kim asked, her perkiness lever falling a few notches.

"She was all over my crush. Last night I had finally worked up enough to courage to ask him how he felt about me. I was going to ask him this morning, but then I see that stupid—" Cece clenched her fists, refraining from using the "B word" and getting in trouble. "—witch two feet away from him, invading his personal space, and he's perfectly okay with it."

Kimberly was staring off into nothing, a glassy look in her eyes. "She has the affect on people," she said, still staring off into space. She blinked and looked at Cece. "She's my step-sister."

"Here you are," said Rocky, sitting down next to Cece.

"I'm Cece. This is my best friend Rocky."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Kimberly, Kim for short."

"I can not stand him!" exclaimed Tinka, sitting down next to Kim. "I've told 'G' not to talk to me again until Gunther returns. He burns me up. He called me 'bro' again. I am his sister; his _twin_ sister."

"I like your accent," Kim complimented Tinka. "I'm Kimberly."

"I'm Tinka. So is Allison your sister or something?" she asked.

Kimberly nodded. "I'd like say 'or something' but she's my step sister. At least I'm not related to her by blood."

"She just irritates me. Popular girls always bring out the worst in my brother."

"Oh no," gasped Rocky. "Don't turn around Cece."

Cece immediately turned around and the automatically wished she hadn't. Gunther was sitting next to Allison. "I hate her!" she exclaimed, her stomach feeling upset again. "I hate her stupid two-toned brown hair. I hate her perfect green eyes! I hate how popular she is!"

"Wait," said Tinka, putting two and two together. She was amazed it didn't hit her sooner. "You have feelings for Gunther, don't you?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Cece looked resigned. "Yes. Yes I do. But I have no chance with _her_ around," she said, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

Tinka got a mischievous look on her face.

Cece and Rocky both looked horrified. "Tinka, what—"

"Are you planning?" asked Rocky and Cece.

All Tinka did was shake her head, grin growing bigger. "But first, I need to discuss it with Ty."

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><p><strong>Uh-oh. G is back. This is bad. If you don't know what episode 'G' is in reference to you should go watch episode six of season one: Age It Up. It's actually one of my fave involving Gunther. I love it when Ty is trying to get him to speak in an American accent. But he is such a jerk. So I tried to showcase that in this chapter. And Tinka's line: "Just because you're a cool dude, doesn't mean you have to be a rude dude." was actually used in that episode.<strong>

**Please leave a review.**

**Good night all!**


	3. Ideas

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>Uh-oh! We left off with Tinka planning something. What is she planning exactly?<strong>

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><p>Chapter 3: Ideas<p>

Tinka shifted her large purse on her shoulder and then knocked on the door of the Blue apartment. Ty opened the door. "Oh, hey Tinka," he greeted. "Come on in."

Tinka peeked her head inside the doorway. "Is Rocky here?" she asked.

"No, she's in Cece's apartment. I'll let you climb down the fire escape. I'm sure they won't mind."

"Oh, no, no. You misunderstood me. I didn't want to see her; I wanted to make sure she was out. I need to talk to you. It involves Cece and Gunther."

"Oh no. What happened?"

"Well, 'G' is back. Thank you, by the way, for teaching my brother to be such a rude dude when he is around popular chicks," Tinka said venomously.

"I promise you, I did not teach him that. I'm not like that. I didn't expect his alter ego to be like that. I just wanted to help him get girls."

"Well, he got a girl, alright, but he's pushing away the one who truly cares about him. And one he truly cares for." Tinka decided to tell him about the day that they first met Cece and then about the song and the dance that she did for them a month later. She told him about the dance that Gunther did at the studio. She ended her story with a re-cap of what happened earlier that day.

Ty was silent while he let everything process. "Whoa! Cece and Gunther?"

"Yeah, but nothing is every going to happen if he keeps acting like a rude dude."

"Gunther just needs to see that she feels the same way. Does he have a favorite song that she could dance to next week on Shake It Up?"

Tinka laughed. "Does he have a favorite song?" She pulled her laptop out of her purse. She turned it on and then opened iTunes. "Which favorite song would you like?" she asked. "His favorite American song of all time, his favorite pop song, his favorite rock song, his favorite rap song, his favorite country song, his favorite techno song, his favorite hip hop song, his favorite dance song, his favorite song of all time that reminds him of Cece, his favorite pop song that reminds him of Cece, his favorite rock song that reminds him of Cece, his favorite rap song that reminds him of Cece, his favorite techno song that reminds him of Cece, his favorite hip hop song that reminds him of Cece, or his favorite dance song that reminds him of Cece?"

"That's a lot of favorite songs. He's got it bad, doesn't he?"

Tinka rolled her eyes. "Just answer the question."

"I don't know. What's his favorite pop song that reminds him of Cece?"

"Sunburn by Owl City," she said. She played the first minute of the song for Ty.

"And what's his favorite pop song in general?" he asked.

"Raise your glass by P!nk."

"Sunburn it is then. Raise your glass seems like something Cece would choose on her own, but Sunburn isn't really her style, which would make Gunther wonder a bit."

"What would make Gunther wonder a bit?" asked Cece as she climbed through the window. Rocky was right behind her.

"Um, the thing I'm planning," Tinka covered. She was a horrible liar.

"Oh right. That thing from lunch that you wouldn't tell us about."

"So what's up with Gunther?" asked Rocky.

Tinka shook her head. "I do not know. The last thing I heard before I left my house was that he was going to hang out with Allison."

"Are you guys going to do anything for the talent show next week?" asked Ty, trying to change the subject before Cece either got hurt or decided to jump out the window and kick Allison's face in.

"Talent show," Cece repeated, her brain giving her ideas.

"Ooh, we could do so much," added Rocky, her brain going in the same direction as Cece's.

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><p>Gunther and Allison were sitting at one of the round tables outside the bakery that was outside Cece's and Rocky's apartment building.<p>

"Who was that girl who wanted to talk to you this morning, Gunther?" asked Allison.

"Oh, her. She's...She's no one really." Gunther avoided her eyes while he was lying.

"No one, huh? It didn't seem that way to me—or to her—when she ran off after you dissed her this morning. And why did you start talking in an American accent when you answered her? I like your strange European accent, Gunther."

Gunther sighed, looking at Allison again. "She is a girl that I am liking," he said slowly. "I have tried showing her how I feel but I don't think she feels the same way."

"Oh Gunther," sighed Allison. "A girl doesn't cry after being dissed by a guy she doesn't like. You have a lot to learn about girls."

"Really? So you think I have a chance?" he asked excitedly.

Allison smiled sweetly. "Of course you have a chance with her, hon. Who wouldn't want to be with you? You're so cute and sweet and funny and your accent is to die for. But instead of telling her how you feel, you're going to sing it."

"Sing it?" he asked. "But I don't sing."

"Sure you do. Everyone can do it. And the school talent show is coming up next week, is it not?" she asked. Allison had seen the flyers around the school. Who could miss those? They were everywhere. "Come on. Let's go back to my place. I'll help you pick out the perfect song."

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><p>"I'm doing my Shake It Up dance to Sunburn?" Cece asked Tinka. "No, it's ridiculous."<p>

"No, it's actually a really cute song. And it's Gunther's favorite pop song that reminds him of you," explained Tinka.

"Awwww," cooed Rocky. "What did I tell you? He does like you, Cece."

Cece cocked her head to the side, reminding Tinka of a puppy. "He has a favorite song that reminds him of me?" she asked thoughtfully.

Tinka smiled, thinking of the many quirks of her brother. She missed him. "He has many songs that remind him of you. Do you want me to play a few for you?" she asked.

Cece smiled. "I'd like that."

Tinka started with a Taylor Swift cover by Manny Garcia. "We found this cover of You Belong with Me on and Gunther told me he immediately thought of you when he heard it."

Cece felt her heart melt when Tinka told her that. "Wow, and to think, I didn't think it was possible to crush any harder on Gunther."

"Starlight Addiction and Dreamers by Push Play are also a few songs he listens to when he can't get you out of his head. He's been wishing he could get the courage to ask you out for ages, Cece. That practice performance at the studio was the closest he's ever gotten. He thought if you would remember he song and the moves, that you would understand."

Cece's jaw dropped slightly and she couldn't breath. Her mouth opened wider and she could feel the tears coming to her eyes as the end of Starlight Addiction played from Tinka's laptop. "But I did. I did remember. That song, that dance; how could I forget? I came up with those moves. I made up those moves to impress him. Remember when we first met and I giggled when Gunther talked to me. I didn't do it to be mean. I was so excited that he spoke to me. I had the biggest crush on him back then."

"Back then?" asked Rocky. "How about now?"

"Tinka, why did you and Gunther stop talking to me after I had to repeat the third grade again?"

"What do you mean? We didn't stop talking to you."

"No. You're right. That's when you started teasing me and being mean to me. Why?"

"We had been told that you were teasing us with the other kids behind our backs."

"What?" exclaimed an enraged Cece. "I would never do that! You guys were my only friends! We didn't hang out at all during summer because you and Gunther went back to the Old Country and when I saw you two at lunch I went to talk to you and you and Gunther just blew me off! I didn't know what I did or anything! I was lucky that Rocky and Ty had just moved here because it was that lunch period that I met Rocky."

"So, wait. Who told you that Cece was teasing you behind your backs?" asked Ty.

"It was somebody who was in our class somebody who started in our class in third grade," shrugged Tinka.

"My first third grade year?" asked Cece.

"Yes, I believe so," confirmed Tinka.

Cece looked at Ty, an idea of who would say slanderous things about her forming in her head. "Ty, what year did Deuce start at school?"

"I think he told me he started in his third grade year."

"Deuce is in your year, isn't he, Tinka?" asked Cece.

Tinka looked thoughtful. "I believe he is."

"Oh, when I see him tomorrow, I'm gonna—Oooohh!" she said while pantomiming strangling someone.

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><p><strong>What song is Gunther going to sing? I kind of have a song picked out already, but if you guys have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. And was it really Deuce who told Gunther and Tinka that Cece was teasing them behind their backs? Why would he do such a thing?<strong>


	4. Planning

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>Thank you to those of you who favorited, alerted, or reviewed my story. It makes me happy!<strong>

**And I realize that I don't have a disclaimer anywhere in my story.**

**I do not own "Shake It Up!" Believe me, if I did, there would no episodes without Gunther and Tinka. Also if I owned "Shake It Up!" Gunther and Cece would become a couple by the end of season 2.**

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><p>Chapter 4: Planning<p>

The first thing that Cece did when she walked through the entrance of the school was watch for Deuce. She didn't see him as she approached her locker. "He is so dead," she muttered under her breath as she twisted at her combination lock angrily causing her to mess it up three times in a row.

"Cece, you need to chill. If you don't, I think you're likely to take Deuce's head off," said Rocky.

"A headless Deuce. Tell me, how is this a bad idea?"

"Cece?" asked the somewhat timid, thickly accented voice of Gunther Hessenheffer.

"Hi Gunther," she said shyly. She avoided his eyes. "Look, I can't talk now. When you see Deuce today, can you tell him I need to talk with him? It's important."

"Yes, I will be sure that I am telling him that you are needing to be talking with him," said Gunther. He promptly walked off like a stiff-jointed robot.

"Well that was weird," said Cece.

"Even weirder than his norm," noted Rocky. "I think he may have wanted to apologize, Cece."

Cece whirled around, looking for Gunther. "I hope I didn't hurt him. And I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea about me and Deuce."

"Hi Rocky. Hi Cece," greeted Kim, walking up to them. "Tinka just told me about the talent show and how you three are planning to be in it. Have you thought of anything yet?"

"Well, I've been thinking that I want to sing According to You to Gunther. He may be too preoccupied with Allison to get who I'm singing the song to but hopefully when I get to the part where Orianthi is singing about the second guy. That'll catch his attention. I just hope we're not too late."

"I think we should do Wannabe by the Spice Girls," Kim interjected. "It can be a fun girl-group thing."

"I'm singing My Immortal," Tinka said from behind the girls. They whirled around. "I need to get my brother back."

"I'll sing it with you, Tinka," said Cece. "I want Gunther back. I don't like G."

"None of us like 'G'," said Tinka, putting the letter in air-quotes again. "And before we even think about practicing for the talent show, we need to start working on your dance for Shake It Up."

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><p>"I've been thinking about the talent show," said Allison as soon as Gunther sat down behind her in homeroom.<p>

"So have I. I don't think it's a good idea. I can't sing. I don't even know of a good song to sing for Cece."

"Don't worry. I have that covered. And Gunther, you'll do wonderful."

"Doubt it. You haven't heard me sing," he said rolling his eyes. "But what song is it?"

Allison pulled out her iPod and set it to the song she wanted him to do for the talent show. She turned around and handed it to him. "This will show Cece how you feel about her. Make sure she knows that it's for her. Lead her on to the stage and sit her down and just look her in the eyes and sing the song to her. The thought behind the song will mean more to her than your ability to sing it. And you will do just fine, Gunther." She handed him her iPod.

He stuck an earbud in and hit the play button. Because You Live by Jesse McCartney played. He tilted his head to the side as he listened to it. "It's pretty," he commented when the song hit the chorus. "But don't you think it's a bit too girly?" he asked.

"Well, isn't that how you feel about Cece?"

"Kind of, but my surviving doesn't hinge on us being connected at the hip. And I want to sing a song that says I'm sorry."

"Oh, what are you sorry for? Did you annoy Tinka again?"

Gunther and Allison looked up to see Deuce slide into the seat next to Gunther.

"This is nothing that concerns you, Deuce," said Gunther turning back to Allison. He turned back to Deuce. "Cece wanted me to tell you that she was looking for you. She seemed mildly irritated with you."

"Oh no. What did I do?" he asked himself, mentally counting all the possible ways he could have annoyed Cece. Many reasons came to mind, but none was the right one.

"Is there a song you had in mind, Gunther?" asked Allison.

"Oh, so now it's 'Gunther' again? Why did you not tell me this, 'G'?" asked an irritated Tinka. "You know, don't answer that. If I'm not important enough for you to tell me that you're back to your old self again, then don't talk to me."

"Make that two songs," said Gunther as he got up from his seat. He sat in the seat behind Tinka. "I'm sorry. Of course you are important to me. I'm sorry about yesterday. I did get out of control."

Tinka shook her head and said, "Don't tell me that. Tell Cece that."

"I can't. I don't know how. Instead, I shall be showing her how I feel at the showing of talents next week."

"Good. And I forgive you. But don't _ever_ call me 'bro' again, _bro_. If you do, I will sick Fluffy on you," Tinka said in all seriousness.

Gunther looked horrified. "Oh no. Not Fluffy. I thought Mama and Papa made you get rid of your science project after it tried to eat the boxer pup that lives down the hall."

"Well, I didn't. I took him down to the basement."

"That explains why I saw you running out of our apartment carrying that fifteen pound turkey last week. I was wondering what you did with that."

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><p>"You wanted to see me?" Deuce asked nonchalantly as he sat down next to Cece at lunch.<p>

"_WHY_?" Her eyes widened and her lips were pulled back to expose her teeth.

Deuce slid over bit to put some space between him and the angry redhead. A nervous grin tugged at his lips. "Wh-why what, Cece?"

"WHY? Why did you tell Gunther and Tinka that I was teasing them behind their backs? You know it wasn't true!"

Deuce shrank back a bit. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't tell that to me! Tell that to them! What I want to know is why? Why, Deuce?"

"I-I'm sorry." Deuce wasn't looking at Cece any more. He staring intently at his food, face flushed from embarrassment. "I saw the way Gunther was looking at you and it made me jealous. I liked you, okay?" he exploded, jumping up from the table. "I had a crush on you in the third grade. I saw the way he looked at you and I saw the way you looked at him. I knew I had to do something about it, but it never occurred to me that you might not feel the same way about me."

"You broke up my best friendship before I met Rocky over a crush? Jeez, Deuce! What kind of friend are you?" Cece rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not mad, just surprised. Now can you please tell Gunther and Tinka that I did not tease them behind their backs. Tell them that it you were jealous. Please."

Deuce rolled his eyes and hugged Cece. "I'll make this right. You can count on me." He started to run off but Cece called after him.

"Deuce?" she called. He stopped and turned around. He started walking back to her. "You don't still have a crush on me, do you?"

He laughed. "Of course not. Believe me. If we were dating, I wouldn't be alive to have this conversation."

"What's that mean?" Cece asked, confused.

"It means I would have trampled on your nerves so much that you would have killed me."

"So, you don't have a crush on me anymore?"

"No, I like somebody else." He smiled and ran off.

"I wonder who it is," Cece muttered as she sat back down.

"Am I coming over to your place or are you coming over to mine?" Tinka asked just as Cece sat down.

Cece practically jumped out of her skin. "Don't do that!" After her heart stopped beating out of control, Cece asked, "When did you sit down?"

"I slipped in when Deuce was talking about the trampling of your nerves. And to answer your question, it's Rocky that he likes."

"How do you do that? It's mildly disturbing."

"I have my ways."

"What's going on?" asked Rocky as she sat down next to Cece.

"Tinka just appeared out of nowhere and scared me half to death."

"Can I do it again so then you'll just be dead?" Tinka asked.

"Oh I know. When you and Gunther were practicing for 'Good Morning, Chicago' last month, she appeared out of nowhere and terrified me," said Rocky, totally ignoring Tinka's comment.

"So anyway, where are we practicing?" Tinka asked again.

"Do you mind if we go to your place? We could practice in the basement."

"I do not think that is a good idea. We have…giant spiders wandering around in our basement and it's just not a safe place," Tinka said, eyes moving around as she spoke, coming up with an excuse. She really was not the best liar. "I just do not want you to get eaten."

"I agree. I'd rather not get eaten by a spider either," said Cece.

"So where are we practicing?" asked Kimberly, sitting down next to Tinka.

"My place," said Cece.

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><p><strong>So, I still don't have a song for Gunther to sing for the Talent Show. Ideas would be much appreciated. I was thinking of having him sing "Because you live" by Jesse McCartney but Gunther makes a wonderful point when he's talking with Allison.<strong>


	5. Practice

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>Thank you for the song ideas. Whoever suggested Young Love, it is perfect. I don't know what version you were suggesting but I went with the Sonny James version. I listened to Chris Brown's version and wondered who would even listen to that. I also listen to The Judds version and I thought it was cute but it wasn't what I was looking for. The Sonny James version was perfect. If you have no idea what I'm talking about look it up on Youtube.<strong>

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><p>Chapter 5: Practice<p>

"What's the plan for the talent show?" asked Cece after the group had been hanging out in her apartment for a bit. "I still want to sing 'According to You.' Maybe if Gunther thinks there's another guy I like, he'll fight for me."

"I think we should do 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls," said Kim. "And I can play guitar. Just throwing that tidbit of info out into the universe. Maybe I can play for a performance."

"That's a bad idea, Cece. He may not act like it, but Gunther is soft and vulnerable. And, believe it or not, he still likes you very much. The thought of you with another guy is enough to break his heart."

"Oh right. Like mine wasn't damaged at all when I saw him with Allison."

"I was going to sing a song to get my brother back, but I don't think I will this time. I think he's coming back to his senses."

"Come on, Tinka. You should still sing something. It'll be fun."

Tinka smiled. "Maybe. But first I have to pick out something to sing."

"Do you guys want to see the 'Wannabe' video? It's really awesome! I love the Spice Girls."

"Cece should practice the dance for Sunburn first," suggested Tinka.

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><p>Tinka had just finished showing Cece Gunther's dance for Sunburn. "Now you try." Cece did a few steps. "No, no, no! Like this." She did the same steps that Cece just did and, to Cece, they looked like the exact same thing that she just did.<p>

"But that's exactly what I just did." She did the same steps again.

"You're doing it wrong. Like this."

"We need to practice 'Wannabe'," said Kim.

"Only after Cece gets this dance down perfect. Keep going, Cece."

This repeated for ten minutes more until Cece got fed up and called Rocky over. "Rocky, watch Tinka and then watch me. Am I not doing the exact same thing she is doing?" asked Cece.

Tinka did the steps for Rocky and then Cece did the exact same steps.

"I didn't see anything different," said Rocky.

Tinka rolled her eyes. "You're not doing it with enough flair, enough panache," explained Tinka. "Come, watch me again. Watch what I do with my hands and how my feet move." She did the steps again.

"I still don't see it," said Cece. "Let's just practice Wannabe. I could use a break from this."

"NO! No break. You want this to perfect for Gunther, don't you?"

"Yes, but—" Cece stopped talking when she Tinka glowering at her. "Can't we go over Wannabe just once?"

Tinka rolled her eyes, not amused at the protest. "Fine. If it will stop your arguing then yes, we can do Wannabe. But just once."

"Yay!" shouted Kim. "I wanna be Baby Spice!"

"I thought I was going to be Baby Spice," said Tinka sullenly. "We both have blonde hair and I could easily put it up in the piggy tails."

"I call Ginger!" shouted Cece.

"But Ginger Spice was my second after Baby," pouted Kim.

The girls fought over who did what for a few hours.

Finally Cece said, "I don't care who does what! I just need air. Alone." She slipped out the door unnoticed and walked down the stairs to the front door of her apartment building. She opened the door and heard singing, pitchy singing, but singing nonetheless. "Gunther?" she asked, spotting the boy sitting at one of the round tables, his back to her.

He didn't hear her because he had his earbuds in. "Ack!" Gunther pulled out the earbuds and laid the iPod aside. "I just can't get this! I was not meant to sing." He stood up and turned around and saw Cece. He started blushing and he couldn't look her in the eye. "Oh. H-hi, Cece. How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to know that you'd sing better if you had an instrument accompanying you."

"Oh, you heard that huh? It's something I'm supposed to be doing for the talent show. Allison picked it out for me to sing."

"Oh…" Cece didn't know why but she felt like crying again. "Allison picked it out for you. That's nice." She started walking away so he couldn't see her tears.

"Cece wait! I—That didn't come out right! It's not for—"

Cece had already run out of earshot.

Gunther sighed and plopped back into the chair.

"Dude, you have no idea how to talk to girls, do you?" asked Ty who had been leaning against the doorframe of the bakery. He had witnessed the whole fiasco. "You don't tell her that another girl picked out your song unless it is for the other girl." He walked over and sat in the seat across from Gunther.

"I messed this up completely, didn't I?" asked Gunther, resting his head in his hand.

"Not completely. Nothing is ever _completely_ ruined. Even a forest can be replanted. All we need to do is find you another song. What were you listening to anyway?" asked Ty picking the iPod up off the table. "Jesse McCartney? Oh yeah, you _definitely_ need another song."

"What do you suggest, Ty?" Gunther asked.

"Well, I suppose you want to sing a love song, right?" Ty asked removing his iPod from his jacket pocket.

"Right," Gunther said slowly, watching Ty find a song on his iPod.

"Here." Ty handed his iPod to Gunther after he found the song he was looking for.

Gunther put the headphones on and hit play. The song that played was "Young Love" by Sonny James. Gunther smiled as he listened to the lyrics. "Do you have anything that can be played on the ukulele?" he asked after he had finished listening to the song.

"Jason Mraz is shown playing a ukulele in the music video for his song 'I'm Yours'. Let's go up to my apartment. I can pull up ukulele covers on Youtube. So what did you think of the song?"

"The lyrics are perfect but the song may be a bit too old for anybody at school understand. Besides, the teachers, of course."

"So what are you thinking?" Ty asked Gunther, somewhat skeptical.

"I'm not sure yet."

The boys got up and Gunther followed Ty up to the apartment. As soon as they entered Gunther plopped on the couch as Ty walked into his room and grabbed his laptop. Ty sat down on the couch next to Gunther, laptop in hand.

Ty opened up Google Chrome and pulled up Youtube. He typed "I'm Yours ukulele" into the search bar and hit enter. He clicked on the first video and the boys watched in awe at the adorableness of the two year old playing the ukulele.

"He can't sing the words but he has the tune down, dawg."

Gunther just stared at Ty. "Who are you calling 'dog', my mad cat?"

"Did you just call me a mad cat?" asked Ty. He hit the back button and clicked onto the second video. "Now that's what I'm talking about," said Ty after the second video loaded.

"That's perfect. Now all I need to do is change the arrangement a bit and fix the lyrics."

"What are you planning, Dawg?"

"Well, Mad Cat, that's a surprise. But there is going to be a lot of practicing on my ukulele."

Rocky opened the door to the apartment. "Ty, have you seen Cece?" she asked looking around the front room. "Oh, Gunther."

"Rocky," greeted Gunther.

"No, I haven't."

"I have. She walked outside when I was practicing for the talent show and then I stupidly mentioned Allison and then she ran off."

Rocky gave Gunther he "Look at what you have done" look and turned around and walked out of the apartment. She walked down stairs and out the front door of the apartment building to find Cece sitting on the front steps. "There you are, Cece."

"Yes, here I am," she said, tears streaking her face. "I hate guys! I hate them! Tinka keeps saying how Gunther still likes me and has a crush on me but he's singing a song for the talent show that Allison picked out for him."

"Then you just have to make your dance perfect for Shake It Up. And the talent show will go off without a hitch. I promise."

"But I don't want to practice anymore. Tinka is pushing me to the brink and I may just snap on her. Kim is getting on my nerves with her whining about the Spice Girls and Wannabe! You're the only one I still like. It's like they're not even regarding my feelings. It's like it's all about them and getting Gunther to like me. I don't even know if I still like him now."

"Whoa, Cece! That's a bit far. Don't you think? He doesn't know you like him. He may still be trying to find a way to tell you that he likes you."

Cece rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I need hot cocoa and my pillow. You can stay over if you want. You can help me with the Sunburn dance tomorrow if you'd like. Are Tinka and Kim still in the apartment?"

"Kim went home and I left Tinka up there in case you came back."

"Thank you. I'm gonna ask if she can record the dance so I can practice it. I'll also study her moves in the video and try to flair it up a bit for Gunther."

Rocky smiled. "There's the Cece I know."

The girls walked up to Cece's apartment and opened the door. Cece walked in first. "Thank you Tinka. I know you don't like helping me much, but could you do me a favor and record your dance on my video camera? I'll study it and make the dance perfect for next Wednesday."

"Of course. If you and Gunther hit it off like I know you will, we could end up being sisters."

"Thanks, Tinka," smiled Cece.

"I'm gonna go grab my pajamas and stuff. I'll right back," said Rocky. She slipped out the window of Cece's apartment and climbed in her own. "Hey Gunther, hey Ty," she greeted the boys as she walked past them and into her room. "I'm spending the night at Cece's if mom asks where I am," she called out as she went through her closet, looking for an outfit for Saturday. "We have plans for tomorrow." She popped her head out of her room and caught Gunther's eye. "Gunther, you'd better be practicing a song to sing to Cece at the talent show or she is gonna be heart broken. And pick a different song than the one that Allison picked out for you. I don't know what's going on with you two but it's hurting Cece." She popped back into her room and took a top off of its hanger.

"Why would it be hurting Cece?" asked Gunther, clueless.

Rocky tossed the top onto her bed and walked out into the front room and plopped down on the floor. "Don't tell her that I'm telling you this, because she will kill me. She likes you, Gunther. She recognized your song and dance on Wednesday. She just didn't know how to express it and she didn't know if she was reading the signs wrong. She was going to tell you how she felt about you on Thursday but you were with Allison instead and totally blew Cece off."

"I didn't realize…"

"Just don't act all flirty with Allison. It's hurting Cece and if you continue to hurt her, I will hurt you." With that, Rocky got up off the floor and continued looking for jeans to go with her top. Once she picked those out, she walked into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and her hairbrush and packed her pajamas. "Alright, I'm off. I will see you tomorrow, Ty. And I will see you at the studio this weekend, Gunther."

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><p><strong>Do you know where Gunther is going with "I'm Yours"? I just re-watched "Shake it up, up, and away" and realized "Oh my gosh! Gunther has a ukulele!" so I had to have him play something with a ukulele.<strong>

**Oh, and by the way, go on Youtube and search "I'm Yours ukulele". The first one is the two year old who is so adorable and the second one is amazing. The kid who did that cover also has other covers and they are AMAZING!**

**And if one of you would be so kind to review and tell me what day that "Shake It Up! Chicago" airs on the show. Like what day they do the live performances. Is it Saturday or Sunday? If I don't have anyone tell me, I'm going to have it on Sunday. And I don't mean "Shake It Up!" on Disney Channel. I mean the show within the show.**

**I realize I wasn't being clear but I don't know how else to ask. Sorry.**


	6. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary: Gunther has a crush on Cece and tries to show her, but he thinks she didn't understand at all. Cece read all the hints, but she isn't sure if she's right in thinking that Gunther has a crush on her. Throw in two new siblings and add a spritz of bad timing on Cece's part and you have yourself "Complicate It Up!"**

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><p><strong>Over 1,000 hits. Thank you guys so much! And thank you for the reviews and the alerts and favorites. It really means a lot to me. I'd like to thank the reviewers by name: Shakeituplover504, QueenyLeAch, Jadeycrazy, NeverEndingTragedies, HellionKyou, AshleighIsI, Isa1998, Geekheart998, and Jelenaforeverxoxo<strong>

**Thank you guys so much!**

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><p>Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect<p>

Cece and Rocky woke up around ten to practice the dance to Sunburn. The girls had breakfast first. Once they were done, Cece set up the camera so the video played on the TV.

"I think we should run through this a few times so we can be truthful when Tinka asks if you practiced at all. Then we need to get ready for tonight's show. Gunther is doing his spotlight dance tonight."

"I don't think I can watch it again, Rocky. My heart is already breaking into pieces. If I see him dance to our song with my moves, those pieces are going to come crashing down. Can't I call in sick or something?"

"Tell me again why you never want to be in the school play? You would be perfect. You are so dramatic." Rocky heaved a sigh. "No, you can not call in sick, but if you would like, you can hide in the bathroom and I will cover for you."

Cece took a calming breath and looked at Rocky. She smiled, looking a bit more confident. "I don't think that's necessary. As nervous as I am to see the dance and hear that song again, I have an idea. Tinka says Gunther likes me. And I like him. So shouldn't I just tell him?"

"He may already know," said Rocky, averting her eyes from Cece's.

"What do you mean, Rocky?"

"Well…Okay. Please don't kill me. Before I found you outside, I went to my apartment to see if you were there. Gunther was there with Ty and I asked them where you were. Gunther told me you had run off so I went outside to go look for you but you were on the steps. After you told me that you were going to give up on Gunther I knew I had to do something. So after we went back to your apartment and you asked Tinka to record the dance, I slipped out to get my pajamas and stuff for today. And I may have told him that you have a crush on him," explained Rocky. She said the last sentence quietly and took a small step back out of Cece's reach so the smaller girl couldn't hit her.

Cece stayed still as she tried to understand what her friend told her. "So…he knows?"

"Yep."

Cece took a step toward Rocky, who flinched away a little. Cece embraced her in a rib-crushing hug. "Yay! Thank you, Rocky! My plan will work then." Cece let go of Rocky and scowled at the girl. "But don't think I'm not mad at you. You weren't supposed to tell him."

"Just do the dance tonight and get over it. I promise this will work."

"Yeah yeah." Cece rolled her eyes but she was smiling. "Let's go get dressed and then we can practice!"

Gunther was up before Tinka. He had been playing his ukulele for the past few hours trying to get the song perfect. He only had a week to do so. It needed to be _perfect_ for Cece. Gunther was not one to settle for near perfect or almost perfect. After making Cece cry on two separate occasions, he wouldn't let her settle for anything less than perfect.

Tinka groaned as she walked out of her room. "What are you doing playing that thing while I'm trying to sleep?"

"Sorry, Tinkabelle, but it is quite a hard task to fix the rearrangement of a song, much less trying to mash two songs together."

"Why ever would you do that, Gunther?" she asked as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"Ty showed me this really amazing love song and then I wanted to do something on my ukulele and now I just don't know which one to do. I wrote up the lyrics to the mashed down version I am trying to do." Gunther handed Tinka the re-written lyrics.

"Have you tried just singing the lyrics with the tune? If a few of the words don't fit, you can rewrite those words and fix them so they do fit. Just a suggestion to make this a bit easier for you." She handed the lyrics back to him

Gunther thought about that as he stared at the lyrics. He fished his phone out of his pocket and opened up Youtube. He looked for the original music video for "I'm Yours".

After listening to the song a few times, Gunther tried to sing his lyrics to the tune. After changing a few lyrics and rearranging a few things, he realized it was starting to sound good. Now all he had to do was rearrange the chord sheet.

When he was almost finished with it, Gunther realized it was almost time to leave. He had just enough time to eat before he and Tinka had to leave for the studio.

"I can't believe I'm going to do this. Do you think I'm ready?" asked Cece as she entered the studio with Rocky.

"You are ready. You'll do perfect. Gunther will be speechless. I'm going to tell Gary that you want to show everybody your dance after the show tonight. And I'll make sure the DJ has the CD. I texted Tinka and asked her not to let Gunther go back stage until after your practice performance. It's going to be perfect."

Cece embraced Rocky in a hug. "Thank you so much! You are the best friend ever!"

Tinka's phone buzzed in her pocket as she was stepping out of the cab. She pulled it out, trying to read the text and walk at the same time. The text was from Rocky.

_After the show make sure Gunther doesnt go backstage until Cece's done._

"What does she mean by that?" asked Tinka. When Tinka entered the studio, she made a beeline for Rocky and Cece. "What do you mean 'until Cece is done'? What is Cece going to be done with?"

"Hey Tinka," greeted Cece.

"Hi Tinka. You got my text. After the show, Cece is going to do her practice performance. She wants Gunther to be there when she does."

"Alright then. You practiced, Cece?" asked Tinka.

"All morning," answered Cece. "I think I have it down perfect. I even practiced it with all the flair and panache."

"Good girl. You may be a perfect sister in law yet." Tinka walked away, probably going to go find Gunther.

"I'm going to go talk to Gary about the song and I'll give the CD to the DJ after Gary says yes."

"Thank you, Rocky! I hope Gunther gets the message I'm trying to send."

Rocky walked over to Gary. "Gary, can Cece do her practice performance tonight?"

"All the practice performances are done on Wednesday. You know that, Rocky."

"Yes, well, you see, Gary, she would wait until Wednesday to do it, but she wants to do it for one person in particular."

"Oh, she wants to do it for me? I'm so flattered."

Rocky laughed. "No." She looked around to make sure Gunther wasn't close by. She leaned in and lowered her voice. "She wants to perform it for Gunther."

"Aww, do we have a showmance?"

"Hopefully we will after tonight. So please? Please, Gary. We're all ready. We have the song and everything. It'll only take a few minutes after the show is over."

"Yes, Cece can do her practice performance tonight after the show."

Rocky handed the CD to the DJ and instructed him on when to play it and what song to play and then she ran toward Cece squealing. "Gary said yes!"

The girls jumped up and down in a happy dance.

The show was almost over. Gunther had yet to do his spotlight dance. They were on commercial break. Gunther had out his water and his ukulele, which he was playing.

"What'cha doing, Gunther?" asked Rocky curiously. She had also walked over here to get a drink from her water bottle.

"Practicing for the talent show. I thought about what you said and with some help from Ty and Tinka, I am doing a mash-down of my own."

"What's a 'mash-down', Gunther?" asked Rocky warily.

"It's from Glee. It's when they put two songs together."

"Oh," Rocky finally understood. "That's called a mash-_up_, Gunther."

"Mash-down, mash-up, there's no difference really," he said, putting his ukulele back in his bag.

"And we're back in ten!" shouted the director.

It was finally time for Gunther to do his spotlight dance. The sliding doors opened up and the music started.

Cece was nervous. She felt her stomach plummet down to her feet. "I don't think I'm ready, Rocky," she squeaked. "I can't dance in front of him. I just can't."

"What do you mean? You do it all the time on the show."

"But we're all dancing together on the show. Or you're dancing with me. I don't think I can do it solo just for Gunther."

"We're all gonna be here. I'm gonna be here, Tinka is going to be here, the rest of the dance crew is going to be here. Don't focus solely on the fact that you're dancing for Gunther. It is your practice performance after all. Start looking at it that way and you'll do fine."

Cece swallowed and tried to smile at Rocky. "You're right. I just need to calm my nerves."

Once Gunther's performance was over and the cameras stopped rolling, Gary called for the group's attention. "Cece is doing her practice performance tonight, so I want you all to stay. It won't take more than a few minutes."

Gary cued the lights, Cece stepped on stage, and the song started playing. Cece took in Gunther's stunned reaction when he heard the song and then she closed her eyes and remembered the steps she had practiced earlier that day.

When her dance was over, Cece opened her eyes. The rest of the crew was clapping for her performance. She looked at Rocky who gave her a thumbs-up. Cece walked off the stage and stopped next to a motionless Gunther. "Gunther, I have a crush on you. I have for a while, I just didn't know how to tell you. I didn't even know if you felt the same way. That is, until your practice performance on Wednesday. That song, those moves; I didn't know what to do. I wasn't even sure if I was reading the sign correctly. I was shocked. I'm sorry." Cece stood on her tiptoes and pecked Gunther on the lips.

He reacted only when she had started to walk away. He grabbed her wrist and lightly tugged her back to him. With a grin on her lips, she willingly complied. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He pulled away with a smile on his lips. "I have a crush on you too, Cece."

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><p><strong>So? What do you think? One more chapter!<strong>


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